Makeup To Breakup: My Life In And Out Of Kiss (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
No real surprises here. Gene's a dick, Paul's a Diva, Ace is a flake. Peter has his demons, many of which, though he seems aware of them, he still falls victim to. Perhaps looming largest are his own delusions of grandeur. It's hard to say though, would he have been part of the inner circle had he kept his shit together, or if Gene and Paul were always going to Henley/Frey the other guys. Either way, you can't help but feel as though all of this stuff could only happen the way it did. The one thing I hadn't heard before was how instrumental Sean Delaney was in putting their original stage show together. Neither Gene nor Ace gave him much of a mention. I've read all of the books in order, so that I can keep track of the "he said this. He's full of crap." And now, I'm on to Paul's book! Here's a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. The thing that made Kiss so vibrant in the 70's was that there were four unique, often disparate personalities at play through which a maelstrom of creativity was spawned. If you enjoy their music or not is irrelevant, the important thing is that they accomplished what they intended to do...capturing pop culture zeitgeist. That being said reading Criss' book, the most frustrating thing is that none of the four could contain their rivalries long enough to keep the original incarnation together indefinitely, and while some musicians that have filed through their ranks have been pretty damn impressive (Criss' replacement Eric Carr is a notable stand out), once the core four were separated, nothing could ever be the same again (including their mid-90's rebirth). I have read reviews of this book that take issue with Peter Criss as a "complainer", but I disagree with that. He readily admits his shortcomings, as well as offering his opinions on the shortcomings of his band mates. Is the horrible picture he paints of his band mates 100% accurate? To him it is, though of course the reader is left with the impression that their were no "saints" in that group...but again, that is what a band of that magnitude needed: The Ego, The Showman, The Addict, and The Partyman...the 4 elements that used to comprise every rock n' roll band, all working in unison to create a sound all their own. And in case anyone out there is wondering, Criss let's fly on the current line-up of the group which has undertaken the execrable decision to replace both Criss and Frehley with musicians that dress in their old costumes...
What do You think about Makeup To Breakup: My Life In And Out Of Kiss (2012)?
Interesting read for KISS fans. Peter Criss comes off as a self-involved idiot, unfortunately.
—Yolanda1234
i don't really even listen to kiss, but this was a very good read!
—Neha
